Process of recovering copper from its ores.



H. K. Blass..

PROCESS OF RBGOYBRING COPPER FROM ITS GRES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27,1907. RBNEWED JUNE 23, 1911.V

Patented Jan, 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. K. HBSS.

PROCESS OP RBCOVBRING COPPER PROM ITS CRBS.

APLIGATION FILED AUG. 27. 1907. RENBWBD JUNE 23.1911.

1,014,061, Patented .121119, 1912.

3 SHEETS'SHEBT Z.

H. K. HES'S. PROCESS 0F RECOVERING UOPPER FROM ITS GRES. Y APPLIGATIONFILED M1927, m07.. RBNBWBD JUNE za, 1911. 1,014,06 l

Patented Jan. 9, 1912. v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.l

, To al] whom 'it 'may concern:

HENRY KQHESS, OF YHILADELPHIA, PE-NNSYLVANI, SSGNR T0 AMERICAN COP- ?EEEXTMCTNG AND REFINING COMPANY, A. CDEPORsTOIl @E AIEZONA. 'EEE/- oar.

4 Specicatoii of Letters Eatent;

YRUCESS OE' RECVERING CIL'JPJEE Fili/@lill HIS GRES.

Application led August 27,1907, Serial No. $90,371. Renewed .Tune 23,1913.. Serial No. 635,01?.

vBeit knownthat I, HENRY K. Hess, of

A Philadelphia, in the vcounty of Philadelphia,

in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Process4for Recovering Copper from Its Cres',- of which the following, taken inconnection with the accom- 4 panying drawings, is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to an improved method of recovering-copper fromits ores, and refers -more particularly to the specific copper-solventsandto the manner of employing the same for liberating and collecting thecopper .from the residual constituents of the ore.

'My main object is to utilize chromium compounds such as chromic acid asa copperisolventiorrxtracting the coptr romgthe fores. In other words, Ihave s tight to'pro- .duce a rapidand' economic dissolution/of the'copper by's'ubjecting the copper-ore v to the acting. of chroniic acidwhich is a powerful solvent and when brought into contact with copperreadily dissolves the copper and forms sultates of copper and sulfate ofchromium.-

A further objett is to subject the 4copper solution-tothe action of anelectric current in the. presence of 'suitable electrodes. I have hereshown a multi-compartment cell having one .or-more porous partitions,whereby copper is caused to be liberated the negative electrode orcathode, while chromic acid is simultaneously regenerated at thepositive electrode or' anode but I do4 not conne 'myself 4to anyspecific arrangement of cells or electrodes.

Other objects and 'uses will appear in ,the

following description.

inthe drawings-Figure l is a perspective View, partly in section, of alixiviator and electrolytic apparatus for carrying out my process. Figs.2 and 3 are perspective views of the detached electrode-trays. Fig.

, e is' a perspective view'of the supporting frame for said trays. Figliis a perspective view, partly in section of a modified torni of theapparatussliown in Fig. l. Figs. t

and 7 are respectively a transverse sectional l ln the chemical reactionof the chromium 10o forms of my invention, and Fig. 8 is a per- Patenteddan. 9, i9ll2.

spective view of a portion of the support and one tier of trays thereinas shown in Fig. T.

ln carrying out this process the coppercontaining ore is placed upon oneor 'more anodes l herein consisting of lead plates in the bottom ofsuitable supporting or confining trays '2- of Wood or other suitablematerial, which latter are removably supported upon shelves 3* of anupright frame lt also of wood or other suitable material. it is apparentthat other electrodes Vmay be used. This frame together with the4 traysand other elements carried thereby, is immersed in a suitableelectrolyte hereinafter described, and Which is contained in a cell 5.-of porcelain, rubber '6r-other acid resisting material.

ssociated'with each anode -l is a superposed cathode e6- hereinconsisting of a horizontal'lead plate, each pair of electrodes beingspaced sufficient distance apart one above theother to receive betweenthem a porous cup or acid pervious partition 7- leaving ampleintervening spaces below said partition for the reception of thecopper-containing ore in the tray -2,, and also leaving a space abovefor the colletionot the liberated copper.

Each porous partition 7- 's preferably made inthe form ci' a tray or cupremovably supported upon the underlying tray -2- and consisting hereinof an apertured traine of wood or other suitable substance supporting inits apertures an eartheny ware porous plate.

The anodes -1- are electrically connected to a conductor -8-, while thecatliodes *tS- are electrically connected to a similar conductor 9 theseconductors :being adapted to be connected to any suitable source ofelectric energy.

The-electrolyte.which is placed in. the cell consists otcliromic acidmixed with a suitable quantity vof dilute sulfuric acid,

which dissolves the copper and forms vsul- `tate of copper and sulfateof chromium.

solution by sn electric cnrrcni, the coppec containing solution isreduced ai the cethoile in the liberacion of copper and chromic iiciiiis formed et the anode for dissolving the copper.

In operaiion, when the eopperconteining ore'is pleceelL in the:inode-trays m1,-- sind capped oy Jthe cathode troy or ccp -Gfwithin eneleci'rolyie composed of chronnc and diluie sulfuric acids and theeleciroiles connected chromic scifi is formed and, the copper of the oreis flissolveci :it the :merle .find me iollic copper is'lherated ai ihecathode.`

When the ore et thecnorle is deprived. of its copper 'oy dissolution, itis removed :incl fresh ore is supplied, his operation being repeateduntil e. suiiicient quan'iy' oi ihe libereteii copper lies beencollected.

lt is'olovious from the 'foregoing descrip- Jtion that che copper israpidly olissolvei through the medium of the chromic" :1c-iii formeel:it ihe :inode incl is disperse-` through 'he liquid to the cathodewhereihe copper is liberatedj the chromic acid eci,- ing as the solventwhile the electric currcni through the medium of -ihe eiecirorles servesto separate cnil collecin lche copper from the solution.

The device shown in 5 c. sixnjg'ile apparatus for liberating he copperfrom `the solution, and simultaneously regeneranv o;

the exhausted chrolnc scid, cnil comprises c cell 20- for eheelecirolyteinWhichis iinlnersed suitable cethocles -Q2 :1mi a porous cup-23 conieining in anode El. `When the electrodes 2)W enel -2- erreconnected to e source 'of electric encrgf, copper is liberated :it thecathode -22 and ch roinic acid is generated et inheenozile -2i- Thisapparatus may loe usecl in the following manner: solution oli chr'olncoeil and sulfuric acid is first usel to .clissolzeii're copper in theore body; 'ehe copper-containing solution is then placed in checon-ipert- :ment containing the cathode 222- encl sulojected to theaction of en electric current thereby liberatingf the copper leavingchromium sulfate. The chromium sulfee then piaceri ino che :inodecomperinien vor cup 23w and hy ihe medium oii the electric currentchromic ccici regenerated, advantage being laken to always have Jhecoppercontaining solui'ion in the cathode compartment and the chromiumsulfate solution in theanode compartment, in which event the .copper is'liberated ond chromic n'cid is regenerated in oneoiierzil'ion, Thegeneral process, hor-sever, consists suosiolr (lolly 1n suhjwirroV ihccopper ore io the :iciion of ilu` cliromic cisl soiulion whereby thecopper dissolved, :1mi Finally liicroiing the dlssolvel copper by theaction of to source oi' clecric energyconsom eq uivclent insulatingrncieriel, the cup Bw' conicining electrodes -33 for he deposision ofcoppertliereon While the frame -Srreceives and supports e series oftreyscon eleciroiies -3-l of leed or other suieble ln this Adevice the ore isplaced Within the trays and in che reaction, copper is liberal-,edWithin che porous cups -3l :ii-the electrodes -33- While *the incisiwihin the ore is clissolve in Ehe irey eleczrocles 3ethis arrangementihe ore Wihin the trays is more evenly' abstracted :incl `iprociuces ccorrespondingly more eile6`-- iive liberation of the metal.

ln 'i' nml 8, l here shown c cell lill-- conziining :in electrolyte inwhich is im# mersecl suii'ehle eleciroes Jil-4 of lecci or othermateriel edeped to receive' che coppercleposi enel also eonicining:frames -4 fof wood or oilier insulating materiel in which supported eseries oi? trays -lin having elecroiies -fi-er oi lecci or othersuitable inc lerici and irensverse perfciiiens -i5-- of he seinemateriel.,

eiecfriceliy counseled 'io c. conflucior eem while lie 'eleeiroklcshAll-L- cre similcriyconneced to e conflucior-i7-' both of seidconductors heilig conneciecl io c suitable source of electric energy ase hal-ery --4l9-. The' object of this arrangement is to more Theseeleciroee 44M i lill) easily hendle large quantities of ore and to cui;down the internal elecf'cricel resistance i r, cells. i/ hat i claimisi-- i.. The described process of sepcrating' copper 'from i's oresVconsisting in subjecting the copper containing ore io the accion of echroinic acid solution.

SZ. The herein described processor" sepsrating copper tiron'i iis oresconsisting in subjecting che copper conieining ore io i'zhe action of esolution ci? sulfuric acid and, chroinic zic-icl.

l'n c process for cleposiising copper,V suhjecing the copper containinghotly to the action or' o ehroinic scid solutionondpassing e suitableelectric currenil through the resulting solution. f

4. 'il e herein described process of sepa rating copper froin its Aoresconsisting in placing ihe copper containing ore in one' of invecompartments divided by a. porous poriiion, snbjcci'ing such ore io theaction oi? chromic ecicl und immersmg in the comn pnrlzmcnts seperateelectrodes one of "which for depositing copper, subjecting aJ coppercontalnlng body to the action of an electrolyte containing a chromiumcompound and passing a; suitable electric current through theelectrolyte.

rm y

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day ofAugust1907.

HENRY K. HESS.

Vitnesses:

M. M. Nor'r, H. E. CHASE, HOWARD P. DENISON.

